Offender Record · OFF-2026-148
Gary Leon Ridgway (photo from the Radford University biography)
Gary Leon Ridgway
Also known as Green River Killer, Green River Strangler
Sex
Male
Race
White
Height
5'10"
Weight
155 lbs
Born
1949
Custody
Incarcerated
States
WA, CO
Distinguishing featuresMustache visible in booking photos
Custody
Incarcerated at Washington State Penitentiary, Walla Walla maximum security · #866218
Custody record at the facility
Sentenced December 18, 2003, to 48 consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole. Pleaded guilty to 49th murder February 18, 2011, and received additional life sentence. Inmate number 866218 per Washington State Penitentiary records.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Where a record says named by police, no charge was ever filed: the record rests on a law enforcement agency's public identification of the deceased person, cited below. Not guilty by reason of insanity means the court found the act proven but the person not criminally responsible. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Gary Leon Ridgway, known as the Green River Killer, was convicted of 49 counts of aggravated first-degree murder for killings committed between 1982 and 1998 in King County, Washington, and parts of Oregon. Ridgway was arrested on November 30, 2001, after DNA evidence linked him to four victims. He pleaded guilty to 48 murders in November 2003 and was sentenced to 48 consecutive life sentences without parole on December 18, 2003. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to a 49th murder. Ridgway remains incarcerated at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Jul 1982, King County, Washington
Aggravated first-degree murder
King County Sheriff's Office · King County Superior Court · RCW 9A.32.030 · Arrested Nov 30, 2001 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole
Ridgway pleaded guilty to 48 counts of aggravated first-degree murder on November 5, 2003, as part of a plea bargain to avoid the death penalty. He was originally charged on December 5, 2001, with four counts (Carol Christensen, Cynthia Hinds, Marcia Chapman, Opal Mills). Three additional counts were filed March 27, 2003 (Wendy Coffield, Debra Estes, Debra Bonner). Ridgway confessed to killing women, primarily sex workers and runaways, by strangling them manually or with ligatures, mostly in his home or truck, then disposing of bodies in remote wooded areas across King County and into Oregon and Washington.
SourcesCNN: 'Green River Killer' sentenced to life in prison; Biography.com: Green River Killer - A Timeline; Murderpedia: Gary Ridgway; Wikipedia: Gary Ridgway; Radford University serial killer biography: Ridgway, Gary Leon
Offense date Dec 1982, King County, Washington
Aggravated first-degree murder
King County Sheriff's Office · King County Superior Court · RCW 9A.32.030 · Arrested Nov 30, 2001 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life sentence without possibility of parole
Rebecca Marrero, 20-year-old, disappeared December 3, 1982. Ridgway had confessed to her killing in 2003 plea deal but was not charged until her remains were discovered in December 2010. He pleaded guilty February 18, 2011. This was the 49th murder charge against Ridgway.
SourcesBiography.com: Green River Killer - A Timeline; EBSCO Research Starters: Gary Ridgway biography
Offense date Nov 16, 2001, King County, Washington
Loitering for purposes of prostitution
King County Sheriff's Office · King County Courts · Arrested Nov 16, 2001 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Guilty plea
Arrested November 16, 2001, on loitering-for-prostitution charges. Pleaded guilty November 27, 2001. This arrest provided the DNA sample that would later link him to the Green River murders.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Ridgway, Gary Leon; Murderpedia: Gary Ridgway
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
49
Victims convicted
60
Victims confessed
22
Victims suspected
Active years
1982–1998
Stated motive
Sexual, Power or control
Range from home
regional
Confessed
Yes
Cooperated with investigators
Yes
Education
high school
Marital history
Married, Divorced
Children
1
Military discharge
honorable
Agencies
Law enforcement, prosecutors and corrections agencies the records show dealing with this person. An investigator working a case with a possible connection can start here.
King County Regional Jail (King County Jail) · WA
Temporary custody during investigation cooperation (September 2024)
Source: Fox 13 Seattle
Washington State Department of Corrections · WA
Manages Ridgway's custody at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla
Source: Fox 13 Seattle, Washington State Department of Corrections / Wikipedia
FBI · WA
Involved in Green River investigation
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation
King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office · WA
Prosecutor Norm Maleng negotiated 2003 plea deal; office continues to manage case matters
Source: Murderpedia, Britannica, CNN
King County Sheriff's Office · WA
Arrested Ridgway in 2001; led Green River Task Force investigation and continues cold-case investigations
Source: Murderpedia, Britannica, Biography.com, Wikipedia
Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory · WA
Forensic analysis and evidence examination
Source: Wikipedia
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
CO
Colorado
approx. May 14, 2005 – 2010 · Transferred to federal high-security prison May 2005; returned to Washington October 2010 per DOC request
WA
SeaTac, Washington
1960 – 1969 · Tyee High School; Chinook Junior High; Bow Lake Elementary
SeaTac, Washington
approx. 1960 – 1981 · Moved to Washington State at age 11; lived near Sea-Tac airport area
Seattle, Washington
Apr 1969 – Aug 1969 · Kenworth Truck Manufacturing Company, hourly employee
Renton, Washington
Aug 1971 – Nov 30, 2001 · Kenworth Truck Manufacturing Company paint department, truck painter/taper for over 30 years
SeaTac, Washington
Jan 1982 – 1989 · 21859 32nd Place South, SeaTac; three miles from where first Green River victims found
Des Moines, Washington
approx. 1989 – 1997
Auburn, Washington
approx. 1997 – Nov 30, 2001 · Lived in Auburn until arrest; charged as Auburn truck painter in some sources
Kent, Washington
Nov 30, 2001 – Dec 2003 · King County Regional Justice Center · Held in ultra-security jail unit while awaiting trial and during plea negotiations
Walla Walla, Washington
approx. Dec 2003 – 2005 · Maximum security, serving life sentences
Walla Walla, Washington
Oct 2010 – present · Maximum security, serving 49 life sentences without possibility of parole; inmate number 866218
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
1977 Black Ford F-150 – Black Ford F-150 pickup
approx. 1983
Spotted near victim Marie Malvar's disappearance location April 1983; witnesses identified truck as matching vehicle she entered
1975 Maroon Dodge Truck – 1975 Dodge pickup truck, maroon-colored
approx. 1982 – 1982
Seen at May 11, 1982 prostitution arrest; used to solicit undercover officer
Timeline
Feb 18, 1949
Gary Leon Ridgway born in Salt Lake City, Utah.
1960
Ridgway family moves to Washington State; Gary is 11 years old.
1964
At age 16, Ridgway stabs a 6-year-old boy in the woods, critically injuring him; police do not pursue charges.
Apr 02, 1969
Ridgway hired as hourly employee at Kenworth truck factory.
Jun 1969
Ridgway graduates from Tyee High School.
Aug 18, 1969
Ridgway enlists in U.S. Navy.
1970
Ridgway marries Claudia Kraig Barrows.
Aug 1970
Ridgway begins six-month tour in Western Pacific aboard Navy supply ship.
Jul 23, 1971
Ridgway discharged from U.S. Navy.
Aug 15, 1971
Ridgway begins work as painter at Kenworth Truck Company in Renton.
Jan 14, 1972
Ridgway divorces first wife Claudia Barrows.
Dec 14, 1973
Ridgway marries second wife Marcia Lorene Winslow.
Jul 1980
Marcia files complaint with Kent Police; reports Ridgway threatened violence over phone regarding divorce and new boyfriend.
Jul 21, 1980
Ridgway accused of choking a prostitute; charges dropped.
May 21, 1981
Ridgway divorces second wife Marcia Winslow.
Jan 21, 1982
Leann Wilcox, 16-year-old female, disappears.
Apr 1982
Ridgway arrested during prostitution sting on airport strip and found guilty.
May 11, 1982
Ridgway arrested for agreeing to sex act for money with undercover officer; driving maroon 1975 Dodge truck.
Jul 08, 1982
Body of Wendy Lee Coffield, 16-year-old female, found in Green River; first confirmed Green River victim.
Aug 15, 1982
Remains of Marcia Chapman, Cynthia Hinds, and Opal Mills found near Green River; Green River Task Force formed August 16.
May 1983
Ridgway emerges as suspect in disappearance of Marie Malvar after her boyfriend/pimp identifies Ridgway's truck outside his house.
1984
Ridgway takes and passes polygraph lie detector test; remains free.
Apr 07, 1986
Search warrant issued for hair and saliva samples from Ridgway's home in Kent.
1988
Ridgway marries third wife Judith Lynch.
Nov 16, 2001
Ridgway arrested on loitering-for-prostitution charge.
Nov 27, 2001
Ridgway pleads guilty to loitering-for-prostitution charge.
Nov 30, 2001
Ridgway arrested at Kenworth truck factory in Renton on murder charges after DNA evidence links him to victims.
Dec 05, 2001
King County Prosecuting Attorney charges Ridgway with four counts of aggravated first-degree murder: Carol Christensen, Cynthia Hinds, Marcia Chapman, Opal Mills.
Dec 18, 2001
Ridgway pleads not guilty to initial murder charges at arraignment.
Sep 05, 2002
Ridgway files for divorce from third wife Judith Lynch.
Mar 27, 2003
Ridgway charged with three additional counts of aggravated murder: Wendy Coffield, Debra Estes, Debra Bonner.
Nov 05, 2003
Ridgway pleads guilty to 48 counts of aggravated first-degree murder as part of plea bargain to avoid death penalty.
Dec 18, 2003
King County Superior Court Judge sentences Ridgway to 48 consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole.
Dec 2010
Remains of Rebecca Marrero, last seen December 1982, discovered by teens in Auburn ravine.
Feb 18, 2011
Ridgway pleads guilty to 49th murder (Rebecca Marrero, 1982); receives additional life sentence.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
News report · Britannica ·
Britannica: Gary Ridgway“Gary Ridgway (born February 18, 1949, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.) is an American criminal who was the country's deadliest convicted serial killer.”
Other · Murderpedia ·
Murderpedia: Gary Ridgway“Arrested: Nov. 30, 2001. Initial charges: Dec. 5, 2001, four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of Marcia Chapman, 32; Cynthia Hinds, 17, and Opal Mills, 16.”
News report · Biography.com ·
Biography.com: Green River Killer - A Timeline“For his crimes, a King County Superior Court Judge sentenced Ridgway to 48 life sentences, to be served consecutively, with no possibility of parole.”
Other · Wikipedia ·
Wikipedia: Gary Ridgway“Gary Leon Ridgway, known as the Green River Killer or the Green River Strangler, is an American serial killer who was convicted of murdering forty-nine women between 1982 and 1998.”
Other · EBSCO ·
EBSCO Research Starters: Gary Ridgway biography“When another body was discovered in 2010, Ridgway pleaded guilty to a forty-ninth murder in 2011 and received an additional life sentence.”
Other · Internet Public Library ·
IPL: Gary Ridgway Case“On December 5, 2001 he was charged with four counts of aggravated murder.”
Law enforcement release · Federal Bureau of Investigation ·
FBI Seattle Field Office History“On November 30, 2001, Gary Ridgway was arrested by police after his DNA had been positively identified on one of the victims.”
Other · Wikipedia ·
Wikipedia: Mark Prothero“Ridgway, a truck painter from Auburn, Washington with a measured I.Q. of 85, was charged with multiple counts of murder.”
Other government record · Washington State Department of Corrections / Wikipedia ·
Washington State Penitentiary inmate information“Gary Ridgway, serving 49 life sentences without the possibility of parole. Serial killer known as the 'Green River Killer' who was convicted in 2003 of 48 murders he did between 1982 and 1998.”
News report · Fox 13 Seattle ·
Fox 13 Seattle: Dept of Corrections - Gary Ridgway returned to Washington State Penitentiary“Gary Ridgway, the notorious 'Green River' serial killer, is back at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, Washington.”
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Ridgway, Gary Leon“Gary Leon Ridgway, 'Green River Killer,' information summarized by Brenda Lackey, Carlie Jones, Julie Johnson”
News report · CNN ·
CNN: 'Green River Killer' sentenced to life in prison“Ridgway pleaded guilty November 5 to 48 counts of aggravated first-degree murder and offered to help investigators find the undiscovered remains of his victims.”
News report · Seattle Times ·
Seattle Times: Ridgway: Nice, but a bit odd“After a failed attempt to join a local police department, Ridgway started working as a truck painter on the night shift at Kenworth Truck in Renton, a job he still holds.”
Law enforcement release · Federal Bureau of Investigation ·
FBI Multimedia: Serial Killer Gary Ridgway“A mug shot of serial killer Gary Ridgway in 2001.”
Submit a Tip
Know something about Gary Leon Ridgway: a place they lived or worked, a vehicle, another name they used, or a connection to a case? Tell us here. Solve the Case passes information about this person to the right agency. If someone is in danger, call 911.
Discussion
Casual discussion about this record on the community forum. The facts live on this page: to add a place, a vehicle or a source, use the Edit record button under the photo so a moderator can review it. Please name no one else, never name a victim, and do not connect the person to any case not listed here.Open the topic on the forum
Corrections and removal. If a charge on this page has been dismissed, acquitted, overturned, pardoned or expunged, or any fact is wrong, tell us through the correction form. Corrections are free, reviewed within five business days, and a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed. Information here may not be used for decisions about employment, housing, credit, insurance or any purpose covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and never to harass, threaten or harm anyone. Where a source is an offender registry, that information is reproduced as of the date shown and is subject to the conditions of use of that registry.